


In Which the Guardians are Scarred for Life

by TwoShots_of_Vodka



Series: What We Have Left [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Baby, Breastfeeding, Fix-It, Gen, I want them to be bros again, Infinity War never happened, Loki's sorry, Mama Loki, Mpreg, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Poor Loki (Marvel), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Pregnant Loki (Marvel), Semi-graphic childbirth, Steve and Tony make up, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, kid's gotta eat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-07-28 00:38:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoShots_of_Vodka/pseuds/TwoShots_of_Vodka
Summary: The first of two endings for my series 'What We Have Left'. In this one, Peter Quill and the Gang are scarred by the miracle of birth.





	1. Chapter 1

“Sing it, Drax!”

Peter Quill’s command went unheeded, as the green-skinned destroyer was passed out in his seat. Quill continued to sing (badly) along to the song being blasted over the speakers of the spaceship. The Guardians were cruising through space, confusing the hell out of anyone who might have been monitoring radio waves with their 80’s music. 

Rocket snorted, rolling his beady eyes. “Why are we doing this, again?” he demanded.

“It’s a distress signal, Rocket; someone could be dying,” Gamora said over the music.

Rocket rubbed the back of his neck. “I get that, by why are we doing it?”

The team proceeded to get into an argument surrounding money, stealing, and payment. It wasn’t unusual; just last week they’d gotten into a fight over whether or not Groot got a child discount at an interplanetary diner. 

“We are arriving,” Mantis said, interrupting the squabble. 

“All right, Guardians. Don’t forget, this might be dangerous, so let’s put on our mean faces,” Quill said. Hearing a beeping sound from behind him, he called, “Groot, put that thing away. Now. I don’t wanna tell you again. Groot!”

“I am Groot.” 

This provoked outrage in literally everyone aboard, all the Guardians exclaiming in shock and disgust. “You’ve got some acorns on you, kid!” Quill exclaimed.

“Yeah, ever since you got your little sap, you’ve been a total d-hole!” Rocket agreed. “Keep it up and I’m gonna smash that thing into pieces.”

The argument was forgotten immediately as they came out of the jump. 

There were bodies everywhere. Men, women, and children drifted lifeless in the vacuum of space, floating amid metal wreckage. Their glassy eyes were fixed wide open, expressions of terror on the faces that glittered with frost. The gold and silver on their beautiful clothing glinted in the light of the nebula glowing behind them. Frozen blood clung to their robes and cloaks. 

Quill stared in horror. He had never seen anything like this before, and he had grown up in the company of space pirates. These people were floating among the debris of their ship, their own bodies become debris. 

“What happened?” Mantis asked in a soft voice.

No one had a chance to answer, because suddenly a body collided with the front windows of the ship with a loud crash. No, not a body. Bodies. There were two of them, one with short hair and a beard, and the other long-haired and wearing a long cloak. The one with short hair had his (it was definitely a man) arms wrapped tightly around the other.

Rocket reacted strongly, curling his lip in disgust. “Ew!” he exclaimed. “Wipers, wipers! Get it off!”

Suddenly, the body wearing the cloak shuddered violently, and the man holding onto him opened one bright blue eye. Everyone aboard the ship screamed.

“Holy shit!” Quill yelled. 

“They’re alive!” Gamora got to her feet at once. “Drax, Peter, get out there and bring them in! Hurry!”

“Got it!” Peter jumped up and scrambled to grab spacesuits for both him and Drax. It took them only a few minutes to get the two inside, but by that time, neither were moving. They laid the two out on the table.

The two men were covered in blood and grime, their clothes ripped and torn. They looked like they had gone through hell, but somehow, they were still alive. The black-haired man’s body trembled violently every few moments despite him being entirely unconscious.

Quill stared down at the blond in complete bewilderment. “How is this dude still alive?” he wondered out loud, stunned. It made no sense; the two men had been floating in the vacuum of space for god only knew how long, and they were somehow breathing. Their skin didn’t even look frozen.

“He is not a dude.” Drax stared down at the man with the beard. “You’re a dude. This is a man. A handsome, muscular man.”

“I’m muscular!” Quill protested. 

Rocket snorted. “Who are you kidding, Quill? You’re one sandwich away from fat.”

“Yeah, right,” Quill scoffed, trying to hide his irritation. It was not soothed when Drax agreed, pointing out that he had gained some weight.

“He is anxious,” Mantis said, laying her hand on the blond’s arm. “Angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt. And this one -” She touched the dark-haired man. “He feels guilt as well, and grief. He is in deep mourning.” Her eyes widened. “And pain. He is in a great deal of pain.”

“It’s like a pirate had a baby with an angel,” Drax went on, staring at the muscular man on the table. “And the other one looks like an angel had a baby with a super model.”

Gamora reached down and touched the bearded man’s arm. “It’s like his muscles are made of Cotati metal fibers,” she said softly, awe in her voice.

“Stop massaging his muscles,” Quill said, trying his hardest not to sound pissed off. Gamora dropped the man’s arm, staring defiantly at Quill the whole time. 

“What’s up with this guy?” Rocket asked, indicating the dark-haired one. He stepped back slightly as the man jerked violently. “He keeps twitching. Do you think he’s having a seizure?”

“He’s beautiful,” Mantis said, her eyes wide. “Look at his cheekbones.”

Quill, still miffed by being dismissed as a dude, ignored Rocket and Mantis. He gestured to the two lying on the table. “Wake ‘em up.”

Mantis laid her hands on their foreheads. “Wake,” she said.

There was chaos. The black-haired man didn’t stir, but the blond jerked awake so suddenly and violently that everyone yelled and jumped a few steps back. He flung himself off the table with a strangled yell, pushing the Guardians away. He stopped, leaning against the wall with one hand and panting for breath. 

The Guardians didn’t move, hoping not to agitate the obviously confused and alarmed person on their ship. The man seemed to catch his breath. He swallowed, and then turned, his one eye gleaming with a wary light. He looked animalistic, almost.

“Who the hell are you guys?” His voice was a rumble, low-register and tinged with a strange accent. 

“Chill out, man!” Quill raised his hands. “It’s ok; we’re not gonna hurt you. We’re the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“My brother,” the man said. “Where is my brother?”

“Your brother?” Gamora frowned. “We found another guy out there with you, but he isn’t awake.”

The bearded man looked past her to the table, and his single eye widened. “Loki!” he exclaimed, fear plain in his tone. He rushed to the table. “Is he alive?”

“He is,” Mantis said. “I can try to wake him up.”

“Please, do so!” the man urged. “Hurry! He must wake up, now! It’s life or death!”

A bit alarmed by the urgency in his voice, Mantis laid her hand on the unconscious man’s forehead and tried again. This time, his body jerked and tensed and his eyes flew open. They were bright green, contrasting sharply with the pallor of his face and the darkness of his hair. He was stunningly beautiful, but seemed to be in great pain. A shudder ran over his entire body and he cried out, curling into a tight ball. 

“Loki!” the bearded man exclaimed, relief and concern on his face. “Loki, can you hear me, brother? It’s me, Thor! We’re safe; you’re safe.”

“Thor?” the dark-haired man looked up at the man who called himself his brother. “Thor, is that really you?”

“Yes!” ‘Thor’ nodded. “Are you still-”

His question was cut off by another loud cry from the dark-haired man. “AGH! Oh, gods, it hurts! Thor, help me, please; oh, GODS!”

“What can I do?” Thor asked.

“Get me off the table,” the man gasped. “Thor, help-”

Thor immediately took his companion into his arms and lifted him off the table. To the alarm of the Guardians, they saw that there was blood on the table where he had been lying.

“Holy crap!” Rocket exclaimed. “What the hell is going on?”

The black-haired man was breathing heavily, his face screwed up in pain. The man carrying him laid him down gently, leaning him against the wall.

“Gently, Loki, gently,” the blond one urged. “It’s going to be all right.”

The other man groaned aloud, hands wrapped tight around his midsection. Now that he wasn’t curled into a ball, the Guardians could see his form more clearly. That part of him seemed wrong: it was too round, too feminine to be a shape on a man. 

He looked up at the one-eyed man, a pained, pleading, terrified expression on his face. “Thor . . . help me . . .”

“It’s all right, Loki,” Thor said. “We’re safe, now. It’s going to be all right.”

He turned to the Guardians, who had moved aside to make room. “We need your help,” he said urgently. “Do you have blankets and hot water? Please, we need them.”

“We can make hot water,” Gamora said. “And we have blankets.”

“Then hasten to bring them!” the man said. 

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Quill asked.

“I’m Thor.”

“You’re what?” said Quill.

The black-haired man let out a cry of pain and alarm. “Thor-! Oh, gods, Thor, help, please!”

Thor dropped to his knees beside his companion. “What is it, Loki?”

“She’s coming,” the man panted. “She’s coming, Thor; she’s coming now. . .”

“Right now?” Thor asked, alarm on his features.

“Yes, right now!” his companion gasped. He cried out, his face screwed up in pain. “I can feel her coming out of me! Gods, Thor, help me-”

“What’s going on with your friend?” Rocket asked.

Mantis put her hand on the man’s arm. “He is in great pain,” she said, her eyes wide. “He carries a life inside of him. He is bringing that life into the world.”

“Huh?” Rocket said, not comprehending. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Please, there’s no time to explain,” Thor said. “My brother is in labor. I will need your help if he is going to deliver his child.”

“He’s what?” Quill asked, but whatever answer coming was cut off as the black-haired man screamed in pain, his hand pressed tightly to his swollen belly. 

“Thor-! She’s coming!” There were tears in his eyes and on his cheeks. “Please, Thor, please help me!”

“I will, brother!” Thor said. “Please, hurry with the blankets and water! Now!”

Gamora turned at once and walked off, followed by Mantis. Thor tugged his companion’s pants down around his ankles and pulled them off. To the Guardians’ alarm, they saw that the insides of the dark-haired man’s thighs were covered in blood. 

The man cried out in pain, bending his knees as his back arched violently. His breathing was rapid and labored, and his jaw was tightly clenched.

“Easy, Loki,” Thor urged. “It’s going to be all right, I promise.”

“Whoa, wait just a damn minute, here!” Quill exclaimed. “What the hell is going on?! Who are you people? Is he ok?”

“My name is Thor,” Thor said. “This is my brother, Loki, and he is in labor. We need your help.”

“Your brother?” Quill said. “In labor? You mean, like having a baby? That’s not what you mean, right?”

‘Loki’ screamed in pain, bending over his bent legs. “AAGH! Thor- oh, gods!”

“I think that’s what he means, Quill,” Rocket said.

“But that’s impossible!” Quill sputtered. “He’s a guy! Guys don’t have babies!”

“GAAAHH!” Loki howled in pain, his back arching. His cries of agony were harrowing, to say the least: he was clearly in a great deal of pain. “Thor, she’s coming!”

“It’s all right, Loki; I have you,” Thor said. “Hurry with the blankets! The babe is coming very quickly!”

Gamora and Mantis hurried over, and Thor immediately tucked a blanket under his brother before washing his hands in the water they brought. He knelt before his brother’s parted legs, and a look of shock crossed his face. “My gods! Bring me a light!” he ordered. “Quickly!”

Loki screamed, clenching his fists. “AAGGH! Oh, gods, it burns!”

“I know, Loki; it’s going to be all right,” Thor said. “I can see her. You’re almost there.”

Gamora brought a light, and her eyes widened. “Oh, my god!”

“What?” Quill asked.

“Holy shit, Quill, he definitely means that kind of labor!” Rocket exclaimed. 

“Push, Loki!” Thor urged. “She’s almost here. Push! You can do it, brother!”

“AAGH!” Loki screamed, and it was the most harrowing scream the Guardians had ever heard.

“Oh, my god!” Gamora exclaimed again.

“You’re almost there, Loki!” Thor said. “Just one more push, and she’s here. Come on, Loki, push!”

Loki wailed. His body jerked and tensed, and he howled in pain. There was a wet, nasty sound, and he collapsed backwards, sobbing. 

“You did it, Loki!” Thor sat back, holding something in his hands. “Loki, you did it!”

There were audible gasps from everyone, even Drax. Quill’s mouth dropped open, and Rocket swore.

The man was holding a baby. 

A small, pink, bloody, very newborn baby; a baby that was covered in blood and whatever else; a baby that had just come out of the man Thor knelt in front of. 

“Holy shit!” Quill yelled. 

“She’s here, Loki!” Thor exclaimed. “Here she is. Here, hold her.”

He laid the baby on the man’s chest, and the man immediately took hold of the squirming, crying infant.

“Oh, my gods,” he moaned, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Oh, my gods. You’re here. . . Oh, my gods, Thor . . .”

“She’s wonderful,” Thor said, a smile splitting his bleeding, bruised face. “You did it, brother.”

“Excuse me,” Quill managed, “but what the hell?! Somebody confirm this for me, because I think I’m hallucinating: this dude just had a friggin’ baby on the floor of my ship! A dude, on my ship! What the hell is going on here?!”

Mantis knelt down next to the man and child. “She’s beautiful,” she said. “What a lovely baby.”

“If- IF I may,” Quill said, holding up a hand, “I’m thrilled by the miracle of life I’ve just witnessed, but WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?!”

Quill’s brain was shutting down. He was incredibly confused by what had just happened. This blond muscle man had just busted into his ship with a clearly badly injured man in his arms, and then that man had given birth to an actual baby within five minutes of coming aboard. He was in disbelief, but there was a crying, newborn baby on his ship, and one that was very real.

“What just happened?!” Quill repeated. “Who are you people? Did this guy just push out a frickin’ baby?! How is that possible? I want explanations, dammit!” 

He slammed his fist against the wall of the ship, and immediately regretted his decision. “Son of a bitch!”

Mantis gave him a scolding look. “Peter, you’re scaring the baby.”

The blond man got to his feet. He looked weary, Quill noted. He’d clearly been through something intense.

“I apologize,” he said heavily. “I would have introduced myself more formally, but my brother’s need was dire. I am Thor Odinson, King of Asgard, and this man is my brother, Loki Odinson.”

“Asgard?” Rocket said. “Where’s that?”

Thor’s face darkened. “It is destroyed, now,” he said. “Along with most of our people. We were making our way to Earth to ask for sanctuary when we were attacked by Thanos.”

“Thanos?!” Gamora straightened at once. “You mean Thanos did this?”

“You know Thanos?” Thor asked.

“Intimately,” Gamora said darkly. “What happened here?”

“He attacked our ship,” Thor said, “killed most or all of my people, and scattered my friends. He attacked my brother and myself and left us for dead. My brother was with child. I managed to grab him and jump clear of the ship before it exploded, but the shock of his injuries sent him into labor. I am immensely grateful to you for rescuing us. If you had not done so when you did, both my brother and his child would have perished.”

“Where is Thanos now?” Gamora asked. 

Thor shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. He left by aid of the space stone.”

“How did you guys survive out there?” Rocket asked. “That’s the vacuum of space we’re talking about!”

Thor opened his mouth to reply, but then the sound of quiet sobs reached the ears of the ship’s passengers. Thor’s brother sat on the floor of the ship, his frame shaking. Mantis knelt by him, her hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right,” she murmured. “Your baby is all right. She’s not hurt. You’re safe with us.”

“Loki, what is wrong?” Thor knelt by his brother. “Is your child all right?”

The dark-haired man looked up. His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were red. “What have I done?” he choked. “Gods, Thor, I gave him the Tesseract. What have I done? I had to save you, Thor; I had to. My daughter, my sons, our mother, our father, our friends . . . You’re all I have left. He would have killed you, and my baby. What have I done?”

He started really crying, his entire body shaking with sobs. He buried his face in the baby’s black hair, weeping uncontrollably.

Mantis looked up at Thor, her wide dark eyes full of pain. “He is in anguish,” she said. “He feels great guilt. He is afraid for his baby. He does not want to lose her.”

Thor’s expression turned to one of great sorrow. “Oh, Loki,” he said. “You did what you had to do, brother. We’re both still alive. And your baby is well. She’s here. You’re not going to lose her.”

Loki let out a cry of grief that pierced the hearts of all aboard. Even Groot looked mournful. Quill felt bad about yelling at him earlier. 

Thor took his sobbing brother into his arms, holding him gently. “It’s all right, Loki,” he soothed. “Don’t cry, brother. We’re safe. And your daughter is safe. Rejoice in that. We have lost much, yes, but we have each other.” He hugged his brother tightly. “I did not lose you.”

It was a sad scene. These two men had clearly lost more than they could say. They had nothing left but each other and the clothes on their backs. The dark-haired man had literally just given birth to a baby, a baby without a home. He had no guarantee of safety for his child. 

Mantis ran her hand up and down Loki’s back. “It is all right,” she soothed. “Your brother loves you. Your baby is safe. Be calm.”

Loki took in a deep, shuddering breath, clinging to Thor’s shoulder. He didn’t let go of his brother, but Mantis’ words had clearly calmed him. “My little girl,” he murmured. “Thor, my baby . . .”

Thor smiled. “Yes, Loki. She’s beautiful. May I see her more clearly?”

Slowly, Loki let go of Thor’s shoulders, easing back against the wall. He settled the tiny thing lying in his arms, moving her so that you could see her face. “Here she is.”

She was a truly beautiful baby. Despite the blood and heaven only knew what else on her skin, she was absolutely beautiful. She had thick dark hair, just like her mother. Father? Her eyelashes were long and dark, and her tiny features were perfectly formed. She was small, but perfect.

“She is beautiful,” Drax said.

“I am Groot,” said Groot.

“My gods,” Thor said. “She’s perfect.”

The dark-haired man breathed out softly. “She’s beautiful,” he said, his voice fragile. “Look at her, Thor: she’s perfect.” He kissed the baby’s head, his eyes tightly closed. A tear slipped down his cheek to land on her forehead. “My little one,” he murmured. “My baby girl. I thank all the gods you’re safe.”

The newborn squirmed in his gentle hold, waving her tiny fist. The man took her hand, and her tiny little fingers immediately closed on his long, slender ones. He choked back a sob. “Hello, little one,” he said shakily. “I’m your mother.”

So, it was mother. It fit. The expression on the man’s face, the way he held the baby, as though she might fade to nothingness if he let go - all spoke of a mother’s love. A mother who had nothing but their baby, who was both overjoyed and terrified. It was a beautiful scene, but a tragic one, as well. Quill felt tears pricking at his eyes, and quickly wiped them away.

Thor touched his niece’s cheek, brushing it with one gentle finger. The baby let out a small sound, stretching in her mother’s grasp. She blinked, and a pair of bright gray eyes looked at the world for the first time.

Loki choked back another sob, a smile spreading across his face. “Oh, my gods,” he breathed. “You’re perfect.”

Thor beamed. “She’s amazing, Loki. My gods, look at her.”

“I know,” Loki said. “She is. She’s perfect.”

“What is her name?” Thor asked.

Loki didn’t reply at once. He looked down at the child he held more gently than anyone had ever held anything before, an unreadable expression on his face. “Her name is Frigga,” he said at last. “Frigga Lokidottir.” 

That name must have held some significance, for Thor looked up at his brother, a shocked expression on his face. 

“Frigga.” His voice was fragile. He looked back down at the baby, and took her other tiny hand in his large one. “Loki . . . she would be very proud.”

Loki looked at his brother, his expression tortured. “Would she? Look at what I’ve done, Thor: I am not a good person. I am cruel and angry and evil and false. I am a monster. She would not be proud.”

“Hush, brother.” Thor laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Do not say such things. You are none of those. You are no monster. You saved me, and your daughter. Mother would be proud of you.”

Loki didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded. “I’ll make her proud. I’ll try to be as good a mother as she.”

“You already are, Loki,” Thor said quietly. “You risked everything to save her. Little Frigga Lokidottir is truly blessed to have you as her mother.”

Loki’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Thor. Look at her . . .”

The two men were completely absorbed by the baby lying in Loki’s arms. Thor’s smile was radiant, and Loki’s, while not as wide, was so full of love that Mantis didn’t need to tell them how much the little girl meant to him. 

“She is everything,” Mantis said quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've got a baby!  
> Hope you like it! I loved writing for the Guardians - they're such a dysfunctional family.  
> P.S. The reason Loki was twitching around is because he was having contractions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki is a bad-ass mother. Peter Quill is tactless.  
> No one is surprised.

Peter Quill was in shock. 

There was a baby on his ship. 

A newborn baby. A newborn baby that a man had given birth to.

“I am never bringing a space body on board again,” Quill said. “The next time we see one, I’m throwing the ship into reverse and getting out as fast as I can.”

“Quiet,” Gamora scolded. “Don’t be rude.”

“Come on, Gamora,” Quill said, “I don’t think there’s a single person here who isn’t disturbed by this. I kind of feel like throwing up.”

“Peter, I saw her come out!” Gamora snapped. “So did Rocket! If there’s anyone on board who should feel like throwing up, it’s us, and we haven’t. Besides, they needed help. If we hadn’t come across them when we did, they all would’ve died, the baby before she was even born.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Quill said grudgingly. “She’s cute; I’ll admit that. But her mom looks like he got run over by a cargo transport ship.”

Loki lay against the wall, loosely covered by a blanket. He was asleep, his breathing deep and regular. That was a good thing; he looked completely exhausted. His hair was damp with sweat, and there were dark circles under his closed eyes. 

The baby lay asleep on her mother’s chest. Gamora had provided a small blanket, and now the tiny newborn was wrapped in a warm blue cloth. The man held her in a close embrace, his hands securely around her. It was a very touching sight, the mother and child. The baby girl clearly meant the world to her mother: it was easy to see in the protective way in which he cradled her.

The two had fallen asleep shortly after Thor helped clean them up, and had been asleep for about half an hour. Thor sat a few feet away, where he could see his brother and niece clearly. He watched them sleeping, his expression unreadable. He was wrapped in a blanket as well, holding a bowl of soup in his hands. He hadn’t tried to engage in conversation since Loki had fallen asleep, and no one had tried to engage him, either. 

Unsurprisingly, it was Rocket who broke the silence. He came to stand in front of Thor, crossing his arms. “So,” he said, “it’s been half an hour. You feel like explaining how your brother managed to push out a baby?”

“Rocket . . .” Gamora warned.

“Hey, I wanna know!” Rocket said. “It’s not normal! I wanna know what the deal is, and why these guys got attacked by Thanos! If I’ve been hearing you correctly all this time, he’s a pretty big deal. I just wanna know if we’re a target, now.”

“If Thanos wanted to come after us, he would have,” Gamora reasoned. “Don’t ask rude questions.”

“I kind of want to know, too,” Quill said. “About the baby, not Thanos,” he added.

“I too am curious,” Drax agreed. “I want to know what kind of genitals the beautiful man has.”

“Drax!” Both Quill and Gamora rounded on him, horrified.

Thor laid down his bowl with a sigh. “It’s all right,” he said. “I know that you must be confused, so I will answer your questions. My brother is a Jotun,” he began. “They are a race of people who are born with both male and female organs. Therefore, the males are capable of childbearing. That is how Loki was able to conceive, carry, and deliver a child.”

“Are you a yo-whatever, too?” Quill asked, mildly horrified.

“No.” Thor shook his head. “I am Aesir, one of the people of Asgard. My brother is adopted, which is a very long story that I will not go into.”

“Thanks,” Gamora said. “What were you doing in space?”

Thor told them the whole story, from Odin’s death to Hela’s conquest, to the events on Sakaar and right up to Thanos’ attack. “Unbeknownst to me, Loki had stolen the Tesseract from the vault.”

Everyone looked confused. “The what?” Gamora asked.

“The Tesseract,” Thor said, “the vessel in which the Space Stone was housed.”

“The Space Stone?” Gamora stared at him. “Your brother wielded an Infinity Stone?”

“Two of them, in fact,” Thor confirmed. “He also had control of the Mind Stone for a time, although it was also being used to control him.”

Gamora continued to stare at him. She looked at Loki, who lay sleeping against the wall, and then back to Thor, an expression of disbelief on her face. “Your brother wielded two Infinity Stones? Do you have any idea how strong a being it takes to hold one? Peter is half celestial, and he could only hold the Power Stone without being destroyed with our help! And your brother wielded two at a time, all by himself?”

Thor shrugged. “Loki is very powerful,” he said simply.

Gamora wasn’t about to let it go. “He held an Infinity Stone while he was heavily pregnant? That’s impossible!”

“He gave it to Thanos,” Drax said. “He helped him.”

“He had no choice,” Thor said, and his tone was dangerous. “Had he not done so, no one aboard the ship would’ve survived.”

“You said he helped Thanos before,” Quill said.

“Not by choice,” Thor insisted. “Loki has a troubled past. He had intended to kill himself when he fell into Thanos’ clutches. He was tortured by him and his Black Order and his Chitauri army. I do not know what they did to him, for Loki will not tell me, but I shudder to think of what it may have been. Thanos took control of him using the Mind Stone and sent him to attack Earth. The connection was broken during the fight, and Loki failed. Thanos would have killed him had Asgard not imprisoned him.”

“Ok, so he’s not evil now,” Quill said. “But now what? What do we do about Thanos?”

“Simple,” Thor said darkly. “He massacred my people and tortured my brother, nearly killing his child before she was even born. I intend to find Thanos and kill him. He’ll die for what he’s done.”

Gamora winced. “That may be impossible. Thanos is one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy.”

“You seem to know a lot about Thanos,” Thor said.

“Gamora is the daughter of Thanos,” Drax said unhelpfully.

The rest of the ship immediately held its breath. Thor’s face had gone stony once more, the expression in his one eye unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. “Your father nearly killed my brother and my niece. He slaughtered my people.”

“Oh, boy.” Quill stepped forward, hoping to dissolve the situation. He hoped that Thor didn’t get violent; something told him that he didn’t stand a chance against the brother of a man who had held two Infinity Stones. “Stepfather. Technically, she hates him as much as you do.”

Thor softened at once. He reached out and patted Gamora gently on the shoulder. “Families can be tough,” he said, offering her a sympathetic smile. “Before my father died, he told me that he had imprisoned my niece in Helheim. Then she returned home and stabbed me in the eye, so I had to kill her. It’s life, isn’t it, I guess. I feel your pain.”

Gamora nodded a little nervously. “Thanks,” she said.

Thor nodded, too. “Of course. I must thank you, as well: you saved our lives. Any longer and Loki would had delivered his child in space, and that would have killed them both. I owe you a great debt.”

“No problem, man,” Quill said importantly. “It’s what we do.”

Groot, Gamora, and Rocket all rolled their eyes. 

Thor didn’t catch on to Quill’s bullshit. “Then you are truly great heroes,” he said.

“Yeah, that’s us,” Quill agreed. “We kick ass and take names.”

Rocket pinched the bridge of his snout. “Oh, brother.”

There was a soft sound from the wall, and they all turned to see Loki blinking in the dim light inside the ship. He looked around, brushing a strand of his wavy hair out of his face. “Thor?”

“I’m here, Loki.” Thor stood at once, going to his brother’s side. “How do you feel?”

“Like Hela threw me down to Sakaar again,” Loki said in a weary voice. “Giving birth is not an easy task.”

Thor smiled wanly. “I can imagine,” he said. “How is she?”

Loki looked down at the sleeping baby lying in his arms. He smiled. “She’s fine,” he said. The smile faded. “My gods, she could’ve died out there.”

“Let’s not think about that,” Thor urged. “We’re safe, and that’s all the matters. We’re alive to take revenge on Thanos.”

Loki’s eyes flickered with something, something cruel and angry and dangerous. “I would like nothing more,” he said quietly, his tone as dangerous as the look in his eyes. It made the Guardians want to take a step back: this man not a passive person. 

Thor nodded gravely. “As would I. I will get revenge on him if it is the last thing I do.”

“We need to find him, first,” Loki said. He shifted, moving to push himself up off the ground.

“Loki, be careful,” Thor said in concern. “You should not exert yourself.”

“I’m standing up, Thor, not exerting myself,” Loki said irritably. “You seem to forget that I fought an army of draugar nine hours before giving birth. I am not weak or helpless.”

“Of course,” Thor said. “I apologize.”

Loki got to his feet, still holding his daughter to his chest. The baby stirred, making a soft sound. Loki smiled, shifting her so that he held her in his arms. “Hello, my little one,” he said softly, touching her cheek. “Hello, Frigga. You are the most beautiful thing in the whole universe. Yes, you are. Thor, look at her.”

Thor came to look at the baby over his brother’s shoulder. A smile spread across his face. “She’s wonderful, Loki. She looks like you, except for her eyes.” 

Loki chuckled softly. “Yes, she has her sire’s eyes.”

“She’s a treasure.” Thor took his niece’s tiny hand in his. “A gift and blessing from the All Fathers."

Baby Frigga cooed, taking hold of her uncle’s massive thumb. Thor beamed. “Hello, little princess,” he said, smiling down at the child. 

Frigga sneezed, and Loki laughed. He cuddled the baby closely in his arms, pressing kisses to her forehead and nose. “Oh, my precious one,” he laughed. “I’m so glad that you’re here.”

Thor couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He hadn’t seen Loki truly happy in so long, and now his brother was smiling and laughing, overjoyed to have his infant in his arms. It was enough to make his heart burst with joy. 

That’s when he realized: he had lost so much, but he still had Loki. And maybe that was enough.

But there was still Thanos. “I must go,” he said. He strode to the hatch leading to the pod and began fiddling with the keypad. “Is there a code?”

“Excuse me,” Quill said, “what are you doing?”

“Taking your pod,” Thor said. The keypad flashed red, a buzzer indicating that he had guessed wrongly in code choice. 

“Ahem, you’re not!” Quill protested. He cleared his throat and dropped his voice a few octaves. “You will not be taking our pod today, sir!”

“Uh, Quill.” Rocket stared at him. “Are you . . . making your voice deeper?”

Quill hesitated. “No.”

“You are,” Drax said. “You are imitating the god-man. It’s weird.”

Quill, all too aware that Thor was taking some menacing steps towards him, continued. “No, I’m not!”

Mantis pointed at him with a gasp. “He just did it again!”

“This is my voice!” Quill protested. 

Thor descended to Quill’s level with a stride that shook the floor. Even now that they were on the same level, Thor was still much taller than Quill. The one-eyed man stared at Quill, his gaze piercing. 

“Are you mocking me?” he asked in a soft tone.

Quill sensed, perhaps too late, that he was in a bad spot, but something in his lizard brain stem told him to continue. “Are you mocking me?” he repeated. “He’s trying to copy me.”

“Enough!” Loki’s sharp voice cut through the cabin like a whip, startling everyone into silence. The black-haired man descended to the main level, holding his baby to his chest. Now that he was standing, his full height and figure were revealed. He was tall, taller than Quill and almost as tall as Thor, with long slender legs and a slim, muscular body that made Quill suddenly very confused about his sexuality.

Loki fixed Quill with an icy stare, his green eyes glinting with a dangerous light. He was incredibly beautiful; his long black hair framed a face neither feminine or masculine and with features sharp as glass. Quill found he couldn’t look away from the man’s eerie gaze.

“Enough of your petty bickering.” Loki’s voice was smooth and low, a purr compared to his brother’s roar. Even with a baby in his arms, he managed to appear threatening. “We need to stop Thanos, which means that we need to find out where he’s going next.”

“Knowhere,” Thor said.

“He must be going somewhere,” Mantis said, confused. 

“No, Mantis, Knowhere.” Quill managed to tear his eyes away from Loki’s even gaze. “It’s a place; we’ve been there. It sucks.”

“Thor,” Gamora said, “why would he go to Knowhere?”

“Because,” said Thor, “for years, the Reality Stone has been safely stored there with a man we call the Collector.”

Quill winced. “If it’s with the Collector, then it’s not safe. Only an idiot would give that man a stone.”

“Or a genius,” Thor retorted. 

“But how do you know he’s not going for one of the other Stones?” Gamora asked.

“There are six stones,” Loki said, and everyone immediately turned to listen to him. “Thanos already has the Power Stone; he stole it last week when he decimated Xandar. He took the Space Stone from me when he destroyed our ship and slaughtered half our people. The Time and Mind Stones are both on Earth, the Time Stone in the hands of the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Mind Stone is in the custody of the Avengers.”

“The Avengers?” Quill repeated, baffled.

“Earth’s mightiest heroes,” Thor clarified.

“Oh!” Mantis exclaimed. “Like Kevin Bacon!”

It was the Asgardians’ turn to look confused. “I . . . he may be on the team,” Thor said. “I don't know. Haven’t been there in a while. As for the Soul Stone -”

“No one’s ever seen it,” Loki finished.

Thor nodded. “Therefore, Thanos can’t get it. Therefore, he’s going to Knowhere. Hence, he’ll be getting the Reality Stone. You’re welcome.”

Loki smirked. “You have gotten smarter, brother.”

“We have to go to Knowhere, now,” said Gamora.

“Wrong.” Thor shook his head. “Where we have to go is Nidavellir.”

“Nidavellir is real?” Rocket clambered up on the table in order to get on something resembling eye-level with Thor. “That place is a legend. They make the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the Universe. I would very much like to go there, please.”

Thor nodded. “The rabbit is correct.”

“Rabbit?” Rocket said as Loki rolled his eyes, muttering something that sounded like, “idiot”. 

“Only Eitri, the dwarf king, can make the weapon I need,” Thor said. “I assume you are the captain, sir? You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest?”

“Yeah, sure!” Rocket grinned. “I’ll go.”

“I’m the captain!” Quill protested. 

“Sit down, Quill,” Rocket told him. “I got it figured out. We got two ships, and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate-angel here, and the morons will go to Knowhere to try and stop Thanos. Cool? Cool.”

Loki stepped forward. “I’m coming with you, Thor.”

“Uh, that seems like a bad idea,” Rocket said. “What are we gonna do with Baby Mama over here?” 

“Loki, this does not seem like a good plan,” Thor said. “You ought to leave, find someplace to hide.”

Loki grabbed Thor by the wrist, stopping the thunderer in his tracks. “Thor,” he said, “Thanos slaughtered our people, tortured you, and would have killed my child while she was still inside me. If you think that I am not coming with you to take revenge, then you are wrong.”

Thor frowned. “But Loki, think of your daughter. You must keep her safe.”

“The safest place for my daughter is with her mother and the one who swore to protect both of us,” Loki said. “The only person I trust more than myself to keep her safe is you. As long as she is with us, no harm will come to her. And besides, my mind is made up: I am coming with you to Nidavellir, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

Thor cracked a smile. “You are right: once your mind is made up, that’s the end of it. Very well, Loki: I will welcome your company.” 

Loki smiled, too, a malicious glint in his eyes. “Good, because you have no choice.”

“Very well,” Thor said. “I bid you farewell and good luck, morons.”

“Wait a moment, Thor.” Loki took a blanket and with one swift motion tore it down the middle. He then took one half and after tying a few knots, created a sort of sling. This he used to secure his newborn to his chest. He tightened it and turned to Thor. “After you, brother.”


	3. Chapter 3

“What a minute, wait a minute; hold up.” Rocket held up his paw. He turned to look at his new one-eyed companion. “You speak Groot?”

Thor nodded. “Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective.”

“I am Groot.”

“You’ll know when we’re there,” Thor assured him. “Nidavellir’s forge harnesses the power of a blazing neutron star.” A tinge of nostalgia entered his voice. “It’s the birth place of my hammer. It’s truly awesome.”

He quieted, and Rocket turned to see the man staring out the window into space. The raccoon sighed. “Time to be the captain.” 

He stood on the pretense of checking a console near Thor. “So,” he said, “you lost your homeland, huh?”

Thor nodded. “Yes. It’s gone - I watched it fall in flames and then explode.”

“And you said your niece and your dad are gone?”

Thor nodded again. “And my nephews.”

“Still got a mom, though?”

“Killed by a dark elf.”

“A best friend?”

“Stabbed through the heart.” Thor looked down at the floor. “All I have left is my brother and his daughter. I am more glad than I can say to have not lost them.”

Rocket looked into the back of the pod. Loki lay curled up on the floor, covered by a cloth. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell steadily. He held his baby to his breast. The newborn was barely visible through her mother’s close embrace.

“Your brother does a lot of sleeping,” Rocket remarked.

“He gave birth not three hours ago,” Thor said. “I am not surprised.”

“You sure that he’s up to this?” Rocket asked.

A small smile crossed Thor’s face. “You underestimate him,” he said. “Did you not hear your warrior friend? Loki held two Infinity Stones, and held the Space Stone whilst he was heavy with child. My brother is among the most powerful beings you are ever likely to meet. He is a proficient sorcerer, and a skilled fighter. Even his children are powerful: no bond could hold his son Fenris, and his daughter Hela was capable of destroying worlds. I have no doubt that little Frigga shall grow to be as powerful as her mother. In truth, I doubt that without Loki there would be even less hope of defeating Thanos.”

“You sound like you’ve got a lot of faith in him,” Rocket said.

“I do.” Thor looked at his brother fondly. “Even when no one else did, even when he didn’t, even when he perhaps did not deserve it, I have always had faith in Loki.”

Rocket pondered that. The guy loved his brother, that was for sure. He wasn’t sure that he trusted Loki, and he still wasn’t sure about Thor, either, but the love that the bearded man held for his brother was real. And the love that Loki had for his newborn was real, too. Rocket had never put much faith in love, but he understood revenge, and that was something that the two men wanted. They were angry; Rocket could see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices when they spoke of Thanos. If the two were as powerful as they claimed, there might be a chance of beating Thanos. 

“Well,” Rocket said, breaking the silence with something other than the beep-boop of Groot’s game, “I’m not sure about this fighting Thanos plan, but hey: I’ve seen a lot of things today, including a baby bein’ born. That was nasty, but the point is, maybe we have a chance.”

“I am Groot!”

“I don’t care that you didn’t beat your high score. Put that thing down.”

“I am Groot.” 

“Hey! Watch your mouth!” Rocket shook his head. “Kids! If I had known how much trouble this would be, I would’ve planted you on some godforsaken planet and flown away.”

“That’s essentially what happened to my niece, Hela,” Thor said quietly. “My father took her from Loki when she was very small and banished her to Helheim, where she ruled over the dishonorable dead.”

“That’s not very nice.”

Thor shook his head. “No. Poor Loki - he was so afraid throughout the pregnancy, because his first two children had been sons, and had animal form. He feared that this child would be taken, too. And then he gave birth to Hela.” 

A small smile crept over the god’s face. “She was beautiful, rabbit: a sweet baby girl with skin like snow and hair like midnight. A perfect child. Loki was so happy. He thought that he would be able to keep her. But as Hela grew, she showed that she had inherited Loki’s skill for magic, and quite an awesome form of it: she could raise the dead, command them to do her will. Odin panicked. He stole Hela away from Loki and threw her into Helheim, a place that no one can leave. And even that was the kindest fate of my brother’s children.”

Rocket winced slightly. Thor’s voice was full of such pain that it almost hurt him. “What happened to his other kids?”

Thor sighed. “Loki’s three sons . . . they were powerful, but they took animal form.”

“Animal form?” Rocket repeated, frowning. “You mean they were animals? How in the hell is that possible?”

“It is not uncommon for Jotuns to give birth to children that look like animals,” Thor explained. “They may have animal form, but they are every bit as intelligent and powerful as their sires and their mothers. The Asgardians, unfortunately, did not see them as such. They saw only beasts, and so the sons Loki bore were taken from him. It very nearly broke him.” 

Thor went silent, looking down at the floor. Rocket sighed. He knew what it was like to lose loved ones - he’d lost Groot once before, for Pete’s sake - but to lose four children by having them taken by your own father was something that he’d never experienced. Why are all space-dads terrible? he though. First Ego, then Thanos, now Thor and Loki’s dad. Rocket wasn’t much of a touchy-feely, emotional person, but in this case he felt like he ought to do something. 

He walked over and patted Thor on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, man. That really blows. But hey: you’ve got this little kid, huh?”

Thor cracked a smile. “Yes,” he agreed. “I am more glad than I can say. I cannot imagine what Loki would have done if he had lost his daughter. That is why I am so grateful to you. Without your assistance, the child would not have lived.”

“Well, hey, you helped him more than anyone,” Rocket pointed out. “You helped him get the kid out.” He shuddered. “I’m never getting that image out of my head.”

A small sound caught their attention, and they turned to see the baby stirring in her mother’s arms, making noise as she did so. Loki had been very deeply asleep, but now he too stirred. He opened his eyes, blinking for a moment. Then he seemed to realize what had woken him and turned his attention to the child in his arms. The baby had started crying, a sound that caused Rocket to put his ears back. 

Loki pushed himself into a sitting position, careful not to jostle the baby. He lifted his shirt, tugging the green fabric up to reveal porcelain skin. The action revealed more than skin. The pod’s other passengers saw a soft, round shape that could be mistaken for nothing else.

Being gentle, Loki held his newborn to his breast, coaxing the infant into taking hold. She did so, and Loki leaned back against the wall, cradling his daughter in his arms as she nursed.

“There, little one,” he said lovingly, smiling down at his baby. “That’s better, isn’t it. Mother has you.”

Rocket stared in disbelief at Loki and the child he was breastfeeding. “What are you doing?” he asked in a horrified whisper.

“I’m feeding my child,” Loki said. “Did you expect me to let her starve?”

“I didn’t expect you to be able to feed her at all!” Rocket said. “At least, not like this! What the hell, man?”

“Stop shouting,” Loki scolded. “You’ll scare her.”

While Rocket sputtered like a car with an engine problem, Thor knelt down beside his brother. He smiled down at the child Loki was nursing. He touched her cheek with his finger. “Hello, Frigga,” he said. “Look at her, Loki. Isn’t she marvelous?”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Loki replied. “I carried her, if you recall.” He stroked the child’s hair. “I knew she was something marvelous before she was born.”

“I pray we can keep her safe,” Thor said. “She is all we have left to fight for. Look at her. She’s so beautiful. The princess of Asgard, Frigga Lokidottir. You have made something wonderful, Loki.”

“Careful, Thor,” Loki said, smiling, “you’ll make me believe that I’m actually capable of being a good person.”

Thor looked at Loki, frowning. “You are, brother.”

Loki snorted. “I’m not, exactly. But,” he added quickly, seeing Thor’s face fall, “perhaps there is hope for me yet.”

Thor’s smile returned. “I think so,” he said. “Looking at her, I am sure of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rocket continues to be scarred by babies and by Loki.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is how it SHOULD have gone down.  
> Also, sorry for such a short chapter - there is more on the way.

The light came from nowhere. One moment, the Avengers and the army of Wakanda had been fighting the Outriders in a desperate bid to stay alive, and the next a blinding pillar of light blazing all the colors of the rainbow flashed out of the sky, hitting the ground with such force that the earth trembled. Before anyone knew how to react, something covered in crackling electricity flew out of the light, flying through the ranks of the Outriders and frying them. Tendrils of green light accompanied the electricity, ripping through the beasts’ heads and bodies like blades.

Then the light faded, and standing there upon the scorched earth that it left behind were four figures. One was a strange, tree-like form, one was a raccoon, but the other two . . .

Steve pushed himself to his feet, hardly daring to believe it. It couldn’t be.

“Ha-ha!” Bruce yelled, grinning all over his face. “You guys are so screwed now!”

Thor Odinson reached out and the electricity-covered object flew to his hand, revealing itself to be a wickedly sharp axe. He didn’t look the way they remembered: his hair was cropped short and he wore an eyepatch over his right eye. He was clad head to toe in gleaming silver mail, and a long red cape floated behind him.

“Thor?” Steve said in disbelief. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “Son of a bitch; where did he come from?”

“Is that a large rat and a tree-man?” T’Challa asked through the com.

“There’s someone else with him,” Natasha said. “Oh, my god; is that Loki?”

Loki, Thor’s brother, stood next to the thunderer, dressed in dark green leather and a long green cape. He wore a shining horned helmet on his wavy black hair, which seemed longer and fuller than it had before. His hands glowed with green light, a light that danced over the twin daggers he held. There was a cloth bundle tied lengthwise across his chest.

“Steve, are you seeing this?” Natasha said.

“Yeah, I sure am,” Steve said. 

“What the hell is going on?” Nat demanded.

“I dunno,” Steve said. “Maybe Thor called for backup.”

Thor strode forward, his hands crackling with lightning. “BRING ME THANOS!” he roared, before breaking into a run and leaping into the air. 

Loki was right behind him. “FOR ASGARD!” he shouted. He dodged an Outrider and jumped straight up, lengths of green light holding him aloft. He spread his hands, and twisting tendrils of magic struck dozens of the aliens, ripping through them as if they were paper. The monsters fell.

Thor was a bit less precise. Lightning covered his entire body and the axe, the sky growing dark as clouds gathered. Thor fell back to earth, striking the ground with his hammer. Lightning flashed, dozens of bolts crashing into the Outriders and tearing their bodies to pieces.

The two brothers landed together. Their eyes glowed, Thor’s bright blue with lightning and Loki’s bright green with magic. The two dispatched several Outriders at once. The aliens didn’t stand a chance.

Thor knocked an Outrider flying with his hammer. He made eye contact with Steve, and the two exchanged a grin.

“I see you got a haircut,” Steve quipped.

“And I notice you copied my beard,” Thor replied. “Oh, and this is a friend of mine, Tree.”

“I am Groot!”

“I am Steve Rogers,” Steve said, not sure how to respond to a walking wooden creature. He gestured to Loki. “What’s up with . . . ?”

Thor shook his head. “We’ll discuss it later.”

“Fair enough.” Steve ducked as Groot impaled another Outrider. “Good to see you again.”

“And you.” Thor nodded. “What the-” Thor jumped as an Outrider collapsed right in front of him, a dagger buried in its back.

“Watch yourself, brother,” Loki warned. “We must live to take our revenge on Thanos.”

A shockwave rolled across the landscape. Thor’s face grew stony. “He’s here.”

Loki nodded, his face grim and cold and angry. “Then he has come to meet his death.”

 

It all went wrong. It all went wrong so fast.

One moment, they were all fighting against Thanos; Steve, T’Challa, Nat, Okoye; all of them. And then it all went wrong. Thanos crushed Rhodey’s armor and sent Bucky flying. He threw back Okoye’s spear and buried Nat in rock. He threw T’Challa to the ground as if he were a toy. Steve held him for a few precious seconds, but he too was thrown aside.

And then Thanos took the Mind Stone. He made Wanda and Vision’s sacrifice in vain, turning back time to tear the stone from Vision’s forehead. The android fell to the ground, his vibranium body turning gray and ashy, like a washed-out photograph. Wanda’s cry echoed horribly through the trees. 

And then it happened. A roll of thunder, and a bolt of lightning flashed down out of the sky. Thanos raised the Gauntlet to stop it with a beam of energy, but the lightning kept coming. An explosion, and Thanos staggered back, Thor’s axe buried in his chest.

Thor landed on the ground with so much force that the impact knocked Thanos to his knees. Loki descended far more gracefully, one foot at a time.

The Asgardian brothers approached the Titan, their eyes glowing with electricity and magic and rage. With their faces set like stone Furies and their bodies covered in their respective powers, they truly looked like the vengeful gods they were.

They stopped in front of Thanos. Thor took hold of the axe. The glow had faded from his eye, but he looked no less threatening. Staring into Thanos’ face with such hatred that it was felt in the air, he growled, “I told you, you’d die for that.” 

Taking Thanos by the back of the head, Thor slowly pressed the axe deeper into Thanos’s chest. The Titan cried out in pain. 

Then, he looked up. Slowly, a grin spread across his face. “You should’ve gone for the head,” he wheezed.

“It’s not too late.” Loki moved faster than blinking. Blades flashed in his hands. Faster than breathing, faster than thinking, he buried two blades in Thanos’ head. One went into his right eye, and the other he plunged through the Titan’s lower jaw, piercing his tongue. The dagger’s blade came out behind his chin.

Thanos tried to cry out, but he couldn’t. Loki forced the Titan to look at him. “That was for my people,” he growled, rage burning in his eyes. “That was for murdering them. That was for torturing my brother, and that was for nearly killing my child while she was still inside me. That was for what you did to me after I fell from the Bifrost.”

Thanos made a gurgling sound, blood pouring out of his mouth and down his chin. He stared up at the brothers, fear in his eyes. Loki curled his lip, stepping back. “Take your revenge, Thor. I have taken mine.”

Thor yanked the axe out of Thanos’ chest and more blood spattered the ground. He stared down at the Titan, his face stony. “You are a plague, Thanos,” he said, “one that I now rid the universe of.”

He swung the axe. A sharp crack, and Thanos’ lifeless, headless body fell to the forest floor. His head, pierced through with Loki’s daggers, rolled to a stop by Thor’s foot.

Loki smirked. “Well done, brother.”

“The monster is dead,” Thor said grimly. “But I fear we have lost much today.”

“Not necessarily.” Loki bent down. Carefully, he removed the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos’ lifeless body. 

Steve and the other Avengers, still reeling from what had just happened, tensed at once. To their surprise, however, Loki handed the object to Thor.

“Here,” said the god. “If there is anyone in the universe strong enough to hold it, it is you, Thor.”

Thor took it hesitantly. “But I know not how to use the stones.”

“No,” Loki agreed, “but there are those that do. And with their help, we can right the wrong that has been done this day.”

Steve finally found his voice. “Thor,” he managed, “you have a lot of explaining to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More on the way soon, if the Powers That Be are kind.


	5. Chapter 5

So the Avengers were together again. About three hours after Thor killed Thanos, a spaceship landed, and out of it climbed Tony, the spider-kid, some kind of man in a cloak, and a gaggle of people that included a very muscular green man and a bald blue woman.

The man in the cloak introduced himself as Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, and promptly took the Time Stone from the Gauntlet. With it, and with help from Thor and the Soul Stone, he brought back the people killed by Thanos. Strange even managed to repair the hole in Vision’s head, although it was doubtful that they could repair the internal damage. He then promptly passed out cold.

The gaggle of weirdos was apparently called the Guardians of the Galaxy, and appeared to be friends of the raccoon and the tree, Groot. It also appeared that one of their number had been killed by Thanos. Upon hearing this, Thor took the Space Stone and opened a portal. Through it stepped a green-skinned woman with dark hair. Upon seeing her, the leather-jacket clad Guardian named Quill screamed “Gamora!” and tackled her.

 

Steve had seen all this in the span of five hours. He didn’t know what to address first: the Guardians, the Asgardians, or Tony. 

Tony. It had been a long time since they had talked. The last time Steve had seen him, Tony had been lying on the floor of the HYDRA base in Russia, his armor sparking and fizzling as Steve helped a wounded Bucky stagger away. 

The last time he’d seen Tony, he’d left him without a backwards glance.

Upon stepping out of the spaceship, Tony gave him an impassive look, a nod, and an indifferent, “Rogers.” 

Steve had responded similarly. “Stark,” he said.

Tony looked around. “So this is Wakanda,” he said. “Man, things really went to shit, didn’t they?”

Steve cracked a smile. “Yeah, they sure did. But we got along fine without you. Iron Man who?”

The corners of Tony’s mouth twitched. “Ditto,” he said. “Who needs Captain America?”

The two of them stood there for a moment, and then Steve extended his hand. Tony looked at it for a moment, and then, slowly, reached out and shook it.

“Good to see you again, Stark,” Steve said.

“You, too, Rogers,” Tony agreed. “Sorry about not calling you. I didn’t understand the hunk of plastic you left behind.”

Steve smirked. He’d figured Tony would insult the phone. “It was harder to trace,” he said. He sighed, sobering, dropping Stark’s hand. “Tony . . . I’m sorry. I should’ve told you what I knew about Bucky. I . . . I’d just gotten him back and I didn’t want to lose him again. I was selfish, I know.”

“I’m gonna stop you right there.” Tony held up his hand. “Steve, I’ve had a while to think it over, and I came to a conclusion. That’s right, all by my lonesome. And I guess I figured . . .” He scowled. “Gah, I’ve got to say that I’m wrong, and that doesn’t feel right. Point is, I was wrong. If Bucky really was brainwashed like everyone says, then he isn’t the person who killed my parents. It took me a while, but I don’t blame him anymore. And I don’t blame you. Breaking up the team was just about the dumbest thing we could’ve done. Look what it almost cost us: half the damn universe. And anyway, those accords really are a pile of horseshit.”

Steve actually laughed. “I’m glad you realize it. What happened to them?”

“Well,” Tony said, “when I get the chance to address this whole mess, I’m going to go in front of the news and withdraw the Avengers from them. Working within the lines isn’t exactly what we do, is it?”

Steve shook his head. “No, it’s not what we do. Hell, we tried, and look what happened.”

“Yeaaah.” Tony winced. “I kind of-”

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!”

A boy’s voice interrupted the two men. Steve and Tony both turned to see a teenaged boy clad in a red and gold suit covered with spider web designs approaching them. He had fluffy brown hair and huge brown puppy-dog eyes, and was grinning so broadly that Steve was afraid the kid’s face was going to split in half.

“Mr. Stark!” the boy repeated. He stopped by Tony’s side, slightly out of breath.

“Hey, Pete,” Tony said. “What’s going on? Is the doc awake yet?”

The kid shook his head. “No, not yet; he’s still out. I just wanted to tell you that I- whoa, Captain America! Or, uh, Nomad? It’s really you, sir! I’m Peter-Man. I mean, Spider-Parker. I mean, uh, I’m Peter Parker. Spider-Man.”

Steve could see the blush of embarrassment spreading across the kid’s face and did his best not to smile. Putting on the most serious face that he could muster, he said in his solemnest voice, “I remember you.”

Peter’s face lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, still being as serious as he could. “You stole my shield.”

Steve watched all the color drain out of the teenager’s face. The blush was replaced by a fearful pallor as a look of terror came over his countenance. “Oh, god. I’m, uh, I am so sorry, Mr. Rogers. Mr.-Mr. Stark told me to steal it. Not that I’m trying to blame him; I was just doing what he asked me to do. I’m really really sorry and please don’t hurt me, sir.”

Steve couldn’t hide his smile anymore. “I’m kidding,” he said. “That was pretty impressive, kid. Nice job.” He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Spider-Man. You can call me Cap.”

Peter stared at the hand he held out. Tony nudged him. “Go on,” he said, a look of amusement on his face, “he’s not going to bite you.”

“Wilson might,” Steve agreed. “But I won’t.”

“Oh, ok.” Peter shook his hand. “N-nice to meet you, Mr. Rogers. I mean, uh, Mr. Captain, sir.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Kinda nervous, huh?”

“Yeah, maybe a little,” Peter admitted. “I just got back from space.”

“How was space?” Steve asked.

Tony sighed. “We’ll talk about it later. Why were you looking for me, Pete?”

“Oh, yeah!” Peter said, letting go of Steve’s hand. “I just saw Thor, Mr. Stark!”

“Thor?” Tony repeated, startled. “Thor’s here?”

“He is,” Steve affirmed. “He and Loki showed up and killed Thanos.”

Tony nearly choked. “Killed Thanos?! What the hell, he’s the one who killed him?”

“Yeah,” Steve said. “Did you not get that through the transmission when you guys were approaching?”

“The guy who talked to us just told us Thanos was dead,” Tony said. “He didn’t say anything about who did it. Wait a minute - did you say Loki was with him?”

Steve nodded. “He showed up with Thor, the raccoon, and the Groot and started fighting. He put a dagger into Thanos’ eyeball and jaw. Said something about taking revenge.”

“Loki was fighting alongside Thor?” Tony said. “Everything about that sentence seems radically wrong. Have you talked to Thor?”

“No,” Steve said, “but something tells me that we ought to do it together.”

 

Thor wasn’t too thrilled. Steve and Tony called the two Asgardians to a room in T’Challa’s palace in order to talk to Thor. The two arrived, accompanied by Bruce, who for unknown reasons was fussing over the bundle of cloth Loki held in his arms. 

As aforementioned, Thor wasn’t pleased at the reason for the meeting being called. “Loki is not a threat,” he stated firmly. “He fought the alien beasts. He fought Thanos and helped me kill him.”

“He’s still a criminal on this planet, Thor,” Tony said. “Have you forgotten about what he did to New York? You yourself wanted to bring him to justice. What changed? What trick is he playing?”

“Loki was under Thanos’ control,” Thor insisted. “He was not in control of himself. He was under the influence of the Mind Stone. When the Hulk smashed into your floor, he broke the connection.”

Bruce winced. “Yeah, I still kind of feel bad about that.”

Tony ignored him. “Thor, your brother is the god of lies. There is a very real possibility that he’s tricking you. He might want the Gauntlet for himself.”

They continued to argue. Steve let Tony do the talking: Tony was better at it, and Steve was more interested in Loki, who was standing by the wall.

Loki looked nothing like the threat they’d faced six years before. He didn’t even look as strong as he had fighting Thanos. He’d removed his helmet, and up close he was incredibly pale and had dark circles under his eyes, which were tired and anxious. He kept glancing around nervously, cradling the bundle in his arms as though it was his most prized possession. 

Steve watched him from across the room, only half-listening as Thor and Tony argued about Loki being there. Bruce seemed to be trying to say something, but he couldn’t get a word in edgewise. 

Steve didn’t know what to think. Six years ago, Loki had attacked New York, and had been taken back to Asgard for it. They hadn’t seen him since. Whatever had happened between then and now had clearly done a number on him. He looked nothing like the Loki they’d fought before. He wasn’t smirking or sneering, now. He acted like a cornered animal.

As Loki stood there, the bundle of cloth he held started moving, and a faint but familiar sound reached Steve’s ears. He frowned. Couldn’t be, he thought.

Loki jumped slightly, immediately turning his attention to the bundle. He bent over it, saying something in low tones as he started swaying back and forth. Steve caught the words, low and soothing: “Shh shh shh shh. Don’t you cry. It’s all right. It’s going to be all right, I promise. I have you. Don’t cry.”

Loki shifted his hold on the bundle, and Steve caught sight of a tiny fist and black hair. He felt a shock run through him. A baby? Why did Loki have a baby? Ignoring Thor and Tony, Steve approached Loki. 

Loki looked up. Upon seeing Steve, the fear in his eyes intensified, and he tightened his grip on the thing he held. It was a baby, Steve saw. It was tiny, not even the length of Loki’s forearm. The child had dark hair, and a familiar mouth and chin. It was wrapped in a tattered blue blanket that was nonetheless tucked carefully around its tiny form.

“Loki.” Steve nodded to him. “It’s been a while.”

Loki regarded him cautiously. “I’m only here because Thor is,” he said, his tone careful. “I do not intend to harm anyone, or indeed act in an aggressive manner. You have my word.”

“The word of a liar and a trickster,” Steve said evenly. “What’s your angle, Loki? What are trying to do?”

Loki’s face fell even further. “Please,” he said, and there was desperation in his voice, “I will not harm anyone while I am here. I do not want to attack you or your team or your people. I just want to be allowed to be with what family I have left.”

The baby in his arms started whimpering, its tiny face screwed up in displeasure at something. Loki immediately turned his attention to infant at once, rocking the baby gently and murmuring to it.

“No, it’s all right!” he soothed. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry. It’s going to be all right, my little one, I promise. Oh, don’t cry.” He pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead, brushing the dark hair with a gentle hand. “Oh, my sweet one, it’s all right. I’m right here.”

Steve was somewhat taken aback. He had never imagined that Loki could be so gentle, could speak so lovingly. Seeing Loki with a baby was just about the last thing Steve had expected. Of course, it might be a trick to gain sympathy, but some part of Steve’s instincts gave him the feeling that this was genuine.

“What’s his name?” he asked.

“She’s a girl, and her name is Frigga,” Loki said. “She’s my daughter.”

“Your daughter?” Steve repeated, stunned. Loki had a daughter? The baby looked like him, he thought. She was so small. She couldn’t have been more than a week old. “Um, how old is she?”

“Thirteen hours,” Loki replied. “She was born today.”

“Uhhhh . . .” Steve wasn’t entirely how to respond to that. Thirteen hours? The baby was a newborn. “Where’s her mother?”

Loki’s eyes flicked down; he looked almost ashamed. He sounded fearful as he said quietly, “I am her mother.”

“You’re WHAT?!”

Startled by Steve’s reaction of disbelief, the baby in Loki’s arms started crying. Her cries caught the attention of the other men in the room.

Tony started badly. “What the-?” he said. “Why does the crazy person have a baby? Do I need to get a Child Protection agent? Can we get security in here? I think someone’s baby’s been kidnapped!”

“Wait, Tony!” Thor said. He went to Loki’s side. “What is the matter?” he asked, looking down at the child. “Is she all right?”

“She’s frightened,” Loki said miserably. “Gods, Thor, this was a mistake. They’re just going to take her away from me!”

“Nobody is going to take your child from you, Loki,” Thor said firmly. “I shall make sure of that.”

“Would someone mind telling me what’s going on here?” Tony said. “Why does Loki have a baby? Did you kidnap her or something?”

“No!” Loki said angrily. “I did no such thing!”

“Peace, brother,” Thor said. “Tony, Steve, you have nothing to fear. This child is my niece, Loki’s daughter. We did not steal her.”

“Loki’s daughter?” Tony repeated. “What the hell; Loki’s a father?”

“No,” Loki said quietly. He shifted the baby to press her to his chest, rubbing her back as he swayed slowly. “I’m a mother.”

“A mother?” Tony stared at him. “That’s impossible. That means you would have had to give birth to her. Steve, he’s tricking us.”

“No, he’s not!” Bruce was finally able to join the conversation at last. “Believe me, he’s not tricking you. That really is Loki’s kid. I can vouch for them. I examined him. He was pregnant.”

Tony stared at Bruce as though he’d lost his mind. “Are you listening to yourself? You just said that Real Power here was pregnant. You ought to know that’s biologically impossible.”

“Not for him, it’s not,” Bruce said. “He’s a Jotun, and their men can give birth. Besides, Tony, look at the kid: she’s not even a day old. She even looks like him.”

“But-but-but,” Tony stammered, “where did she come from?!”

“Do you really want me to go into detail?” Thor asked.

“No, he means where was she during the battle?” Steve asked. “We didn’t see her.”

“She was with me,” Loki said. “I had her tied to my chest.”

Steve stared at him incredulously. “You fought Thanos with a baby strapped to your chest?”

“Where else was I going to put her?” Loki asked defensively. “I placed a spell on her so that she couldn’t be harmed.”

“I don’t believe this,” Tony muttered. 

“Please, Tony,” Thor said, “I swear to you, this is no trick. Loki gave birth to her this very day. I delivered her myself! Ask the rabbit: his crew can vouch for us. And while I still have a say in matters, I order that no harm come to the babe.”

“We’re not about to hurt a baby,” Tony said, “but may I remind you that your brother is a dangerous criminal, who worked with Thanos? What guarantee do we have that he won’t try something?”

“I have told you, Stark, my brother fought Thanos with me!” Thor said angrily. “He risked his life and that of his child to try and defeat Thanos!”

“Thor, he’s the god of mischief,” Tony said in exasperation. “You can’t take his word for anything.”

“He did stab you when you were eight,” Bruce pointed out.

“Banner, I thought you were on my side!” 

“Wait a minute!” Steve held up his hand before anyone else could say something. “Wait a minute. Loki, let’s just assume for one moment that you’re telling the truth and that you mean no harm. How do you expect us to trust you? What kind of guarantee do we have that you’re not lying?”

Loki looked down. He looked weary, Steve thought; truly exhausted and defeated. He held his daughter closer. 

“This,” he said quietly, stroking the baby’s hair. She had stopped crying, and was now just whimpering, her tiny face pressed against her mother’s chest. “My newborn daughter, Frigga. She is my guarantee. I will do whatever you ask of me, so long as you do not separate us. Please, don’t take her from me. You have my word.”

Steve glanced at Tony. “Tony?”

Tony stayed silent for a long moment. Then, he sighed heavily. “All right. We’ll give you a chance, Loki. But I’m warning you: step out of line just once, and we’ll throw you away and ‘lose’ the key. And you won’t be able to have your kid with you. Get it?”

Loki nodded. “I understand. Thank you. Oh, Frigga, I know. You’re hungry, aren’t you?” He turned his attention to the unhappy baby. “I’m sorry. I’ll feed you.”

Loki sat down in one of T’Challa’s fancy chairs, and before anyone could register what was happening, he’d undone his shirt and held the baby to his chest. Her fussing stopped at once, replaced by a soft gurgling as her mouth worked on the small, round curve of a breast.

Loki smiled down at the child that gazed back up at him with stormy gray eyes. “There, now,” he said softly. “That’s better, isn’t it?”

The baby hiccuped, and Loki brushed his hand over her little head. “Good girl,” he murmured. “It’s all right, little one. I’ll take care of you.”

“What the hell . . .” Tony stared in complete shock. “He’s breastfeeding the kid. Did you know he could do that, doc?”

“No.” Bruce was staring, too. “I had no idea. That’s incredible.”

“Incredibly disturbing!” Tony corrected. “This is gonna scar me more than the crap Thanos threw at us, and Thanos threw a fricking moon at me!”

“It’s just a mom feeding a baby,” Steve said. 

“Come on, Cap,” Tony said, “don’t tell me that this isn’t the most disturbing thing you’ve ever seen.”

“It’s up there,” Steve admitted. “But we’ve got more important things to worry about than Loki and his baby, or how he feeds her. We’ve got bigger fish to fry. Soldier!” He addressed one of the Dora Milaje, who had been standing guard at the door.

“Captain.” She snapped to attention.

“Keep an eye on him.” Steve indicated Loki. “Make sure that he doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Yes, sir.” The Dora Milaje nodded. She went to stand a few feet from Loki, her expression incredulous as she watched him.

As Thor and Tony started to talk about the Gauntlet, Bruce sat down in the chair next to Loki. He looked down at the baby Loki was nursing. “Hey, little girl,” he said with a smile. “Look at you! Wow, you’re just gorgeous. You look just like your mom. How’s she doing, Loki?”

A small smile crept across Loki’s face. “She’s doing very well,” he said.

“She looks fine to me,” Bruce agreed. “Good size, and she’s breastfeeding just fine, too. When did you-?”

“Thirteen hours ago,” Loki replied. “I gave birth to her on the Guardians’ ship.”

Bruce stared at him. “You gave birth to her on a spaceship? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” Loki said. 

“But how - I mean, who-”

“Thor delivered her,” Loki told him. “I’m all right, and so is she. But I wouldn’t say no to you examining her. After she’s done here, of course.”

Bruce laughed. “Yeah, she’s a hungry little lady. Good on Thor for helping you out.”

Loki nodded. “He was of great help to me, and to her. Hello, little one. That’s right, your uncle was very helpful, for once in his life.”

The baby looked back up her mother with large gray eyes, never looking away even as she suckled. Loki smiled at her, his expression soft. There was love in his eyes, something that Steve never thought he would see. He had never imagined he would see Loki this way: quiet, peaceful, nurturing. He had never thought of Loki as any of those things, but in this moment, Loki was. Loki was nursing a baby, providing instead of taking away. Loki had brought a life into the world, creating instead of destroying.

Loki looked up at Steve at that moment. “Thank you for vouching for me, captain,” he said. “I am more grateful than I can say.”

“Sure thing.” Steve nodded. “I’m not too big a fan of taking children from their mothers. She’s beautiful, by the way. Congratulations.”

Loki didn’t seem to know how to respond to the compliment from the Avenger. “Thank you,” he said at last. His daughter done nursing, he pulled his shirt down and readjusted her in his arms. “That is very kind of you.”

“Sure,” said Steve. Hearing ‘thank you’ from Loki didn’t seem right, and he had to make a conscious effort not to pinch his arm to convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming. This might be a different Loki, he decided; different from the madman who had brought an alien army to Earth.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, he thought. He went to rejoin Thor and Tony, who were discussing what had happened that day. Steve joined in the conversation, helping to fill in where he could in order to assess what ought to be done next.

They were just talking about all the people brought by back by Thanos and the possibility of the Asgardian refugees still being alive when Bruce’s voice interrupted them.

“Thor!” The doctor sounded very worried. 

“What is it, Bruce?” Thor asked.

“Thor, get over here!” Bruce exclaimed. “Loki fainted!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get a cliffhanger! YOU get a cliffhanger! Everybody gets a cliffhanger!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of this particular part of the story. There will be a resolution, I promise!

The three men turned to find Loki slumped against Bruce, who was holding the baby. Loki’s eyes were closed and his face was as white as a sheet. The Dora Milaje was easing him to the floor.

“Loki!” Thor dashed to his brother’s side, his single eye wide with fear. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Bruce said. “He just passed out!”

“Loki!” Thor exclaimed, frightened. He knelt beside his brother, noting the deathly pallor of his face. “Loki, can you hear me?”

Bruce laid his hand on Loki’s neck. “He’s breathing fine,” he said, “but he’s got an irregular pulse. That’s not a good thing.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Thor sounded on the verge of panic. "Why is he unconscious?"

“I don’t know yet,” Bruce said. “My best guess is exhaustion, or a postpartum complication. I won’t know until I can examine him. Is there a bedroom or an infirmary we can take him, uh, ma’am?” Bruce asked, addressing the Dora Milaje.

The woman nodded. “Yes. I will send for someone to prepare one.” She used one of the beads from her necklace to contact someone who looked like a doctor and had a short conversation in Xhosa. She turned to the men. “Please follow me,” she said. “I will take you to an infirmary, where there will be a doctor waiting.”

“Thank you,” Bruce said. “Thor, can you carry Loki?”

“Of course.” Carefully, Thor lifted his brother into his arms. Loki’s head lolled limply as Thor picked him off of the ground. “Please, Loki,” he said so quietly that the others almost couldn’t hear, “you have to be well. Please, brother, you’re all I have. I can’t lose you, too.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

Following the Dora Milaje, Thor carried his unconscious brother down a series of hallways and to a bedroom that was equipped with both medical facilities and a way to monitor the room’s inhabitant from outside the room itself. Steve and Tony followed behind Thor, Bruce, and the soldier. Bruce asked for an ultrasound machine, and the doctor left to fetch it.

Thor laid Loki on the bed with the utmost care. The god hadn’t yet regained consciousness, remaining still and quiet. Thor, on the other hand, exhibited clear distress. He looked at Loki with a look of deep concern on his face, his brows furrowed and his single eye full of worry.

Bruce noticed Thor's concern. "Here, Thor, hold your niece.” He handed the baby to her uncle in an attempt to distract his worry from Loki, at least for a little while.

It seemed to work. Thor took the baby carefully, settling her in his massive arms. She was crying a bit, and Thor shushed her gently. “It’s all right, little one,” he said soothingly. “It’s all right. Your uncle’s got you.”

“Thor, you delivered the baby, didn’t you?” Bruce asked.

Thor nodded. “I did, yes.”

“How did that go?” Bruce asked. “Did Loki have any difficulty at any stage during the delivery? Was there any bleeding afterwards?”

“No bleeding,” Thor said. “But it was an exhausting experience for both of us. Loki was in immense pain. He suffered most of the labor in the vacuum of space and delivered the babe not ten minutes after we were taken aboard the Guardians’ ship. Had the rabbit’s crew not rescued us when they did, Loki and his daughter would not have survived.” He held his niece a little closer. “I was very frightened,” he said quietly, his voice shaky.

“He was in labor while he was in space?” Bruce looked up at Thor, startled. “Oh, my god; how did he survive that?”

Thor shrugged helplessly. “Asgardians and Jotuns are extraordinarily resilient; both Loki and I have survived space before. I cannot explain how. But what is wrong with my brother?” he asked fearfully. “Is he going to be all right?”

Steve laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he told the thunderer. “Wakanda has the best doctors and best technology in the world. If Loki’s hurt or sick, they can help.”

Thor nodded, letting out a shaky breath. “I hope so.”

The Wakandan doctor returned, carrying a case in one hand. She set it down on the bedside table and opened it, revealing a screen and some other odd equipment. “Here is the ultrasound machine,” she said. “I will set it up for you.”

“Uh, yeah,” Bruce agreed. “You might want to operate it, too, because I have no idea how this ultrasound works.”

The doctor laughed. “It’s all right. But you can put the gel on, I assume?”

“That I can do,” Bruce agreed. After washing his hands, he pulled Loki’s leggings down a small amount in order to get better access to his stomach. “Man, his skin is so cold!” Bruce muttered. “I noticed that when I was checking him out on the ship.”

“He’s Jotun,” Thor said. “His temperature has always been lower than what we could consider normal.”

“Oh, yeah; frost giant,” Bruce said. He peered at the ultrasound screen as the Wakandan doctor moved the probe across Loki’s lower stomach. The screen showed a blurry black-and-white image that was entirely incomprehensible to Steve, Tony, and Thor. “Ok, there’s the uterus. Looks totally healthy to me. Still not back to normal size, but that’ll take some time. He had a baby person in there.”

“Holy shit,” Tony muttered. “A womb? Is that really what I’m seeing, Bruce?”

“Yeah, that’s what you’re seeing,” Bruce said. “What do you think, doctor? Looks fine to me.”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, it appears normal, despite how strange it is to see. There is no bleeding. His breathing appears normal, but his pulse is slightly irregular. His temperature is low, but if he is a different species, then I doubt that is much cause for concern. The scan doesn’t reveal any internal bleeding or spinal damage, and I cannot see any evidence of a concussion. I do not see signs of infection or illness. There is some trauma to the throat and esophagus, but nothing that would cause fainting.”

“You got all that with the ultrasound probe?” Bruce raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“No; I put a kimoyo bead on him,” the doctor said. She showed the men a bracelet on Loki’s wrist, strung with one blue and black bead. “It will monitor his vitals and his health. I also scanned him with mine.”

“I gotta check those things out,” Tony muttered.

“Shh,” Steve said.

“Then why did Loki faint?” Thor asked. “What is wrong with him?”

“He is not injured, except for the throat trauma,” the doctor said. “My diagnosis would be physical and emotional exhaustion.”

“What does that mean?” Thor said.

“Pretty simply, he’s tired,” Bruce explained. “He fought a battle against aliens today, and gave birth to a baby thirteen hours ago. It sounds like he had a pretty tough labor. That kind of thing is going to tire a person out, and it’s almost certainly the reason he fainted.”

“He did go through a great ordeal,” Thor agreed. “He also used a lot of his magic, and that always drains him. But he is not injured?”

The doctor shook her head. “No, he is not. I will attach him to an IV drip, but the best thing for him right now is rest.”

“Man, rest sounds so good right now,” Tony groaned.

Steve patted him on the back. “I know, pal, but we’ve got stuff to do.”

“Might I have a look at the baby?” the doctor asked Thor. “I can examine her to make sure she’s all right.”

Thor hesitated. “I suppose,” he said, sounding a bit reluctant.

“It’s ok, Thor,” Bruce reassured him. “We’ll give her back.”

“No, it’s not that,” Thor said. “It’s just - this is the first time I’ve held her.” He looked down at his niece with a small smile. “Loki always had her before now, so I’ve never held her before.”

“We’ll give her right back,” Bruce told him. “Just give the doctor a few minutes to look her over.”

“Very well.” Gently, Thor handed the baby over. The doctor tested the newborn’s mobility, weighed her, and slipped a kimoyo bead around her wrist. She stopped, however, during her examination of the baby’s face. She frowned. “This is strange.”

“What?” Thor was instantly on edge. “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know. These markings.” She pointed to Frigga’s face. “Do you know what they are?”

Thor looked. “Oh, my gods,” he said, gazing at the baby in wonder. “Look at you, you have Jotun markings.”

“Jotun markings?” the doctor repeated. “Then they are normal?”

Thor nodded, transfixed. “Yes, but I did not think to see them on her.”

Curious, Steve looked. Sure enough, there were pale blue lines on the baby’s fair skin. Steve had never seen a Jotun, so he was intrigued. “Wow,” he said. “Does Loki have those, too?”

Thor nodded. “When in his Jotun form, yes, but they’re darker.”

“Well, then she is completely healthy,” the doctor said. She laid Frigga back in her uncle’s arms. “The bead will continue to monitor her health.”

“Thank you,” Thor said, sounding relieved. “That is wonderful news.” “You can rest assured that she is healthy.” The doctor rose to her feet. “I will go get the IV equipment. Please wait here.” She left, once again leaving the men to stand there awkwardly by the bedside of the unconscious Loki.

Well, all the men save for Thor, that is. His attention was focused entirely on the newborn he held. He smiled down at his newborn niece. The tiny baby looked even smaller cradled in his massive arms. Thor gently touched her cheek and the gray-eyes infant grabbed at his finger. Thor beamed. “Look at you,” he said. “You’re beautiful. You’re absolutely perfect. Look at her, Steve: isn’t she beautiful?”

Steve nodded, smiling. It was good to see Thor so happy, considering all that had happened to him in the past few days. “She sure is,” he said. “Congratulations, Thor.”

“Thank you.” Thor beamed. “Loki has such a gift. Look at what he has done: Created an entirely new life. He was so strong, you know. She’s amazing. I’m overjoyed to have her.”

“Yeah, I’m glad for you, too, but there’s just one thing,” Tony said. “What about your brother?”

“Loki?” Thor looked up at Tony, frowning. “What about him?”

“What do you mean, ‘what about him’?” Tony demanded. “Thor, the discussion about your brother being a criminal isn’t over. Do you honestly expect us to just forget what he did and let it go just because he helped kill a few aliens and had a baby?”

Thor scowled. “Tony, you and I have been friends for several years, now. I would’ve hoped that you trust me enough to take me at my word when I tell you that my brother is not a threat. He helped me kill Thanos!”

“He also helped Thanos by killing dozens of people six years ago,” Tony pointed out. “He faked his death; he’s a trickster; he’s the god of lies.”

Thor glared at his friend, deep anger in his eyes and in the lines of his face. “You dare question him after all he risked to help you?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Loki risked his very life and the life of his child. He did this to save the people of this planet. That includes you! He saved your lives, and this is how you repay him?” Tony held up his hands.

“Don’t get angry, Thor; I’m just trying to think smart about this, and I’m trying to get you to think smart about it, too.”

Thor’s scowl deepened. “Are you so blind that you cannot see the truth in front of you?” he growled. “Perhaps I ought to beat the blindness out of you!”

“Guys, come on!” Steve broke in. “We aren’t going to fight over something that can be talked out. Guys, are you even listening to me? Hello?”

The fight might’ve become physical, but at that moment Loki stirred, shifting slightly as as he returned to consciousness. He blinked, his green eyes opening slowly. He looked around, frowning. His gaze fell on his brother’s face. “Thor?” he said hoarsely.

“Loki!” Thor exclaimed, forgetting all about his quarrel with Tony at once. A relieved smile spread across his face. “I am glad to see you awake, brother. How do you feel?”

Loki looked around, his brow furrowing slightly as he took in the unfamiliar room. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Thor said. “We brought you to this infirmary so that the doctors could examine you.”

Loki frowned in confusion. He looked down at his abdomen. “What’s this strange substance on my stomach?”

“Oh, yeah,” Bruce said. “Sorry about that. That’s just some ultrasound gel. We did a scan to make sure everything’s ok - in there,” he decided after an awkward moment. “You know, after you had the baby.”

At the mention of his child, Loki’s eyes widened. “Where’s Frigga?” he asked, fear edging into his voice. “Where’s my baby?”

“It’s all right, Loki; I have her.” Thor knelt by Loki’s side and helped him to sit up. “You see?” he said. “She’s all right. Here.” Thor gently gave the baby back to her mother, and Loki immediately gathered her into his arms, a look of concern on his face. Thor smiled reassuringly. “She’s all right, Loki.”

“Oh, thank the gods,” Loki murmured. “My baby girl. I thought - never mind. Mother has you, little one. He has you.” He kissed her forehead and the baby stirred in his arms, making a soft sound and grabbing at her mother’s face.

“Look, Loki,” Thor said. “She’s got Jotun markings.”

Loki blinked in surprise. He traced the faint blue lines on his daughter’s face with a gentle finger. “Oh, my gods,” he said said quietly. “She does. I didn’t notice. They must have appeared after she was born. Look, Thor, she has Ymir’s crown.” He indicated the markings on the baby’s forehead. “The sign of royalty.”

“She is a princess of Jotunheim, as well,” Thor reasoned. “Yes, you are,” he said, taking the baby girl’s little hand. “You are a princess.”

Bruce, feeling a bit guilty about interrupting such a sweet moment, cleared his throat softly. “How do you feel, Loki?” he asked.

“Tired,” Loki replied without looking up from his daughter. “Considering what I’ve done in the last 24 hours, I think that’s entirely acceptable.”

Loki did look tired. Not just tired; he looked exhausted. He had dark circles under his eyes, which he couldn’t seem to keep all the way open. The way he held his shoulders indicated exhaustion, as did the tight lines on his face.

“You need to rest,” Bruce said. “After hearing all the stuff you did today, I’m really not surprised that you passed out. You had a difficult labor, and you fought aliens. The best thing you can do is rest. Oh, and Frigga’s perfectly healthy,” he added. “The doctor looked her over, and she looks great.”

Loki smiled faintly. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Did he just say ‘thank you’?” Tony muttered.

"Shh," Steve said again.

The Wakandan doctor returned, carrying with her the IV equipment she had gone to fetch. Loki started violently when he saw the needle in her hand. “What is that?” he demanded. “What do you mean to do to me with it?”

“It’s an IV,” Bruce said. “It’ll help you get back your fluids and your nutrition.”

Loki cast the needle and drip a wary eye. “What guarantee do I have that you are not trying to poison me?”

“Because we don’t _want_ to poison you,” Bruce said. “And poisoning you would hurt Frigga. We don’t want to poison your baby, either.”

Loki didn’t look entirely convinced. “Well . . .”

The Wakandan doctor spoke. “If you do not allow me to put the IV drip in you, it could do harm to your baby. The electrolytes in the IV will help make your breast milk more nutritious for her.”

Frigga chose that moment to start whimpering. Loki looked down at the squirming newborn baby he cradled in his arms. His expression softened. “Very well,” he said. “I will submit to your treatment, for her sake.”

“Ok, great,” Bruce said, clearly relieved. “It’ll hurt a bit, but don’t worry: it’ll stop after a while.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Loki said rather darkly. “I’ve felt much worse pain before.”

There was an awkward silence after that statement. No one knew exactly how to respond.

Tony’s phone buzzed suddenly. He jumped. “Eek! Oh, it’s Rhodey. Hello? Uh, yeah, sure. Cap and I’ll be there in a second. Just give us a moment. Yeah, see you. Bye.” He looked up at Cap. “T’Challa needs us. Something about the U.N.”

“Oh, god; not the U.N.” Steve sighed. “Ok. I don’t have anything else to do today.”

Thor moved to stand. “Shall I come, as well?”

“No, Thor, you should stay here,” Steve said. “You’ve had a rougher day than any of us.” He glanced at Loki, cradling his dark-haired baby to his chest. “Spend some time with your family.”

Thor smiled. “I shall do so. Thank you, my friends.”

“What for?” Tony asked.

“For this,” Thor said. He sat down on the bed beside Loki, who was gently stroking his daughter’s hair and murmuring softly to her. Thor smiled. “For helping me keep my family together.”

Steve and Tony glanced at each other. “No problem,” Tony said roughly, sounding as though he was speaking around a lump in his throat. “Bruce, doctor, you two staying?”

“We’ve actually got other places to be,” Bruce said. “Lots of hurt people out there. See you guys later.”

“Yeah, smell you later,” Tony agreed. “See you, Thor.”

\--------------------------------

Bruce and his Wakandan counterpart left, heading for whatever place they were needed most, and Steve and Tony departed in the direction of T’Challa’s conference room. The last thing the two of them saw as they left the bedroom was Loki lying back with his daughter in his arms, Thor sitting on the bed beside them.

There was silence between the two for a while. The sounds of their shoes on the polished palace floor was the only noise. They walked past statues and paintings and decorated walls all in silence.

“Well.” Tony broke the quiet. “That was something.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Something good or something bad?”

“Something fucking weird,” Tony said. “Call me crazy, Steve, but that’s not the Loki I remember. He’s supposed to be bloodthirsty and egotistical, not - like that.”

“Like what?” Steve asked. “I don’t know,” Tony said. “I can’t explain it. He’s just - it’s like he’s someone else. He’s so-”

“Vulnerable,” Steve said.

“What?” Tony asked.

“He’s vulnerable, Tony,” Steve said. “I think that's the word you’re looking for.”

“Vulnerable.” Tony frowned, as though the word felt strange coming out of his mouth. “I don’t know.”

“I do,” Steve replied. “As weird as it sounds, I think he’s being truthful.”

Tony snorted. “Steve, he’s the god of lies.”

“I know, but I just don’t think he’s lying,” Steve insisted. “Not about this, anyway. I saw him when he put those daggers into Thanos’ head: he was angry, and it was real. He even handed Thor the Gauntlet. And did you see the look in his eyes when he was holding the baby? I’m good at reading people, Tony, and there wasn’t a scrap of dishonesty in his eyes when he was looking at her.”

“Are you trying to make excuses for what he did in New York?” Tony asked.

“No.” Steve shook his head. “I’m not even saying that I trust him fully. I’m just trying to say, maybe we ought to give him a chance. We’ll keep an eye on him, but we’ll leave him be for the most part. Let’s see what happens. If it all goes terribly wrong, we have the Gauntlet.”

Tony sighed. “Man, what the hell. Thor would probably fall apart with him, and anyway, the kid needs her mother.” He shook his head. “Mother; holy shit. The guy who threw me out a window is a mother. He was pregnant; he has a womb. Does that mean he has a v-”

“Tony, if you finish that sentence, _I’m_ going to throw you out a window.”

“You’re a terrible old man,” Tony said.

Steve chuckled. “I wish I could argue.”

“God, it just seems so wrong,” Tony groaned, mushing his face with his hands. “Loki is a mother. And it’s not just the gender thing that’s blowing my mind, it’s the whole concept of him being a caring person. I saw how he looks at her and how he holds her, and that level of care from him just doesn’t compute. It’s like there’s a disconnect between what I’m seeing and what my brain is accepting.”

“Like I said,” Steve told him, “give him a chance.”

Tony sighed. “Ok, ok; I know. Man, I need a drink.”

"Too bad," Steve said with a laugh. "There's no time."

"There's no rest for the wicked," Tony agreed wearily.

"Then I guess Loki can't be all that bad, huh?" Steve said.

He was only half-joking.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a resolution, as well as an alternate story arc concerning the circumstances of Frigga's birth.


End file.
